"There will be no major investments": Eric Bischoff describes the impact of the WBD sale on AEW

The purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery by Netflix has shaken the news as much as the Hollywood film landscape. This move raises many doubts about the future of movie premieres now that one of the biggest production companies in the business is in the hands of the popular streaming platform.

However, there are more questions that generate doubts, such as the future of All Elite Wrestling, a promotion that recently signed an agreement with WBD for the broadcast of its shows on both the company's channels and its HBO MAX platform, whose future remains uncertain.

Tony Khan reassured fans, ensuring that their agreement will remain in force for the next few years. However, some believe that the company will end up facing the consequences of this commercial operation. This is the case of Eric Bischoff, who in the most recent edition of his podcast 83 Weeks, explained the reasons why Warner Bros. Discovery will carry out an austere economic policy in view of its sale or final division.

"What will probably happen, in one way or another, is that Warner Bros. Discovery is going to be sold. It's going to be divided. That process, that decision, was probably made a long time ago. Today, that company is for sale, or they know it will be. In some way, in its current form, it will cease to exist," said Bischoff.

"Being that the case - and that's the important point here - since we know it's going to be divided anyway, they're not going to invest. They're not going to sign big checks or make long-term commitments, whether for a wrestling company, or for Real American Freestyle, or for a movie or a reality TV series. It's not going to happen. Everything will stop or be put on hold," he explained.

"What does that mean for AEW? They are now entering the final phase of their contract with their current partner without having any serious conversations, because (WBD) don't know where they will end up. They need to keep their costs low. They need to show the healthiest final balance possible."

"Now, this is again similar to my experience at AOL Time Warner. You're in a position where you have to manage the EBITDA because, at some point, the sale price - or whatever the final strategy is - will be calculated based on the EBITDA, your final balance," he continued. "So, to achieve that, you cut costs and don't make long-term commitments. That's the position - as of today, in this podcast - where AEW currently finds itself, given what's happening in the market. It's not personal, it's just mathematics."